After days of nonstop practice, Jing Shu's control over her illusions had improved a lot. Even if something happened with the chickens, ducks, or cattle, she could completely suppress the animals with her illusions. Her mind projected a calm, heavy stillness that settled over the agitated livestock, forcing their panicked movements to go slack.
It was a little embarrassing, though. In the apocalypse, other people could control fire or command lightning, living like main characters in a blockbuster; Jing Shu had none of that. All she had was illusion magic, and the biggest use of it was to calm little animals or occasionally guide lost lambs back home.
At that moment, screams echoed through the Banana Community. People were running everywhere in a frenzy, their voices high and jagged with terror. Some even bolted toward the flat villa district, desperate for open space. The whole community instantly turned into chaos.
Jing Shu first sent Zijin inside, then quickly moved through the violently shaking villa courtyard. The ground bucked under her boots. She skillfully pulled the electric net to the gate and circled it around the entrance. Hiding outside was fine, but if anyone tried sneaking into the villa, they would get shocked. Xiao Dou stuck close at her feet, clucking while its small beak helped her tug at the cold, metallic mesh.
She had also drained part of the water from the villa pool earlier. Even though the shaking was bad, the waves only slapped against the tiled sides instead of overflowing into the yard. Two trees swayed so violently they almost toppled, their trunks groaning under the strain, but she had deepened their roots a few days earlier, so they held fast.
The vegetable garden wasn't as lucky. With the weather turning too cold lately, Grandpa Jing had covered the crops with a plastic sheet, and now it was leaning sideways in a sorry mess, the fabric flapping loudly against the dirt.
What a waste of good vegetables.
The tempered glass greenhouse frames had been designed with earthquakes in mind, built with the stability of a hexagon. They rattled and vibrated under the shaking, but the glass didn't break. Stroking her chin, she thought, "Since it's getting colder, I might as well add a layer of insulation and soundproofing under the tempered glass."
That way she could grow more vegetables inside without them freezing. The poultry pens wouldn't need heaters either; otherwise the birds might freeze to death. It was the same with the fish pond. Even though she added a little Spirit Spring water every day, if all the fish froze, she would have nowhere to cry. After all, she had never raised these things in her previous life.
But looking at it now, the effect wasn't that great. The noise outside was still loud, the roar of the earth mixing with the cries of the crowd.
"Jing Shu, come inside quick! Is your head hurting again? Let Dad check you. Just hold on a little longer, once this passes I will find a doctor for you." Jing An pulled her into the villa. The girl had been jumping around full of energy earlier and didn't look sick at all.
Jing Shu snapped out of it and went inside. Her whole family was huddled, trembling in a corner of the living room. Zijin sat off to the side, her eyes red and swimming with moisture. That reminded her: didn't Zijin's childhood sweetheart die in the 2008 quake while volunteering in disaster relief?
This was Zijin's first time stepping into the villa itself. Before, she had only worked in the little house outside. But today she clearly wasn't in the mood to look around at the luxury. She grabbed Jing Shu's hand and said firmly, "Boss, don't pay me for the next few days. I am going out as a volunteer, working with the government to save people. This quake is terrifying; Wu City must be in bad shape."
Jing Shu gave her a strange look, then nodded. "Alright. When it's over, call me. It's freezing, and I will still need you to rush a few clothes. The schedule is tight, so you had better handle it fast."
"Got it, Boss."
Rescue missions? Probably not. Digging out corpses was more likely, and each body meant 0.1 virtual coin earned.
Her family didn't need to run outside. Behind the villa stretched empty mountains. They had already moved into the closest back room, planning to jump out the window if things got bad. It was way too convenient.
The quake cycles came like clockwork: a small tremor every seven seconds, a bigger one every twelve, and thunder rumbling every twenty. Every major shake made the whole villa sway hard, even knocking some fine white dust loose from the ceiling.
"This doesn't look like the quakes on TV where everything just collapses at once. What magnitude is this?" Grandma Jing asked, her hands gripping the edge of a sturdy wooden table.
"At least a four or five." Jing An held his phone, his thumb flying as he sent messages. "Once the quakes hit, communications might cut. I will get in touch with the livestock farm first."
In reality, the signal wouldn't die. It would just drop from 5G to 2E since half the towers were collapsing.
Soon, Jing Lai called first. She told them not to worry and that she would stay to handle cafeteria management. She told them to call if anything happened.
Wu You'ai also called, she warned them not to go out yet. If the quakes got worse, they should head straight for the back mountain.
Outside was a mess. Crowds were trampling each other in the streets. The gates of Wu City were almost broken down by the sheer volume of people. Even if they tried leaving now, it was impossible.
Wu You'ai said she and the officials were organizing an evacuation to the back mountain square in batches. She told them not to worry and promised to update them immediately.
Jing Shu already knew this. That was why she stayed calm and let her family remain at home. In her past life, they had all panicked and rushed out.
The result was tragic. They got stuck in the crowd, unable to move forward or back, and couldn't even return home. Tens of thousands poured out of the Banana Community at once. With the stampedes and the quakes, the outcome was obvious.
The noise outside was still loud, filled with curses, shouts, and terrified screams that echoed through the valley.
As the family's backbone, Su Lanzhi started giving orders despite the constant shaking. "Jing An, get everyone's thick clothes and essentials. I will prepare food, water, and supplies. We have to be ready to escape anytime. If the crowds are too big, we will skip the RV and bring more tents. Jing Shu, are you feeling any better? I can't take care of you right now."
Jing Shu lay on the bed pretending to rest. Hearing her mother's voice, she opened one eye. "Mom, every time thunder hits, my head hurts so bad. My body goes weak, and my ears buzz."
Su Lanzhi brought her earplugs, the soft foam bright against her palm. "Let me finish packing, then I will figure something out for you. Until you're better, I will stay right here with you."
"Okay." Jing Shu nodded with relief. Now she could finally relax. The family had a pillar to rely on.
In times of crisis, both her parents could make clear decisions. All her effort hadn't been wasted.
She could have "predicted" what would happen or just arranged everything herself, but her parents handling it was far better. Real-life work experience had toughened them. In just two years, they had changed so much. Their vision broadened, and their mindset grew.